The present invention relates to fiber optic communication systems, and in particular, to a power sensor that may be used to determine energy levels of light beams propagating through a fiber optic switch.
Over the past several decades, the telecommunications industry has exploded, and the incorporation of optical fiber into this industry is revolutionizing the way information is transmitted. Communication systems which use optical fiber as the transmission media offer some significant advantages over past wire-based systems, such as higher bandwidths and transmission rates, lower transmission losses, lower implementation costs, and greater electrical isolation.
Despite the benefits which exist in the optical transmission of information, one of the most difficult challenges in the widespread adoption of optical fiber in the telecommunications industry is the inability to route these optical signals effectively between optical fibers. The routing of these optical signals is typically accomplished using a cross-connect switch.
Historically, the switching of optical signals between optical fibers has included the detection and conversion of the optical signal to an electrical signal, and then switching and re-modulating the electrical signal to a new optical signal for transmission over a different optical fiber. Unfortunately, due to the power consumption and bandwidth limitations within the electronic switch circuitry and the expense of such a switching system, the optical-electrical-optical switch topology has not been widely adopted in the telecommunications industry.
Recently, a number of optical cross connect switches have been developed in order to switch optical signals directly from one fiber to another, thereby eliminating the need to convert the optical signal to an interim electrical signal. These optical switches incorporate various optical switch elements, such as mirrors, prisms, fiber collimators, and complicated drive mechanisms, to route optical signals through the switch. Because of the extremely tight tolerances necessary for proper angular alignment of the various reflective elements, as well as the open-loop responses of these reflective elements is insufficient to step perfectly into position, a very sophisticated feedback control system is required, often resulting in these switches being prone to failure and requiring significant maintenance.
As the telecommunications industry continues to develop and grow to service more and more customers, the need for large scale, reliable optical switches will also increase. Consequently, there is a need for a device that may be used in a fiber optic switch, for example, which can calculate the power level of a light beam propagating through the switch. There is also a need for a device that can calculate the power of a light beam comprising data, for example, without actually measuring the light beam itself.
The Optical Cross Connect Switch of the present invention includes a method and system for detecting a power level of a communication light beam. The method and system may include receiving the communication light beam at a beam splitter after the communication light beam has been generated at a fiber optic switch beam generation element. A beam splitter may be used to reflect a portion of the communication light beam to produce a reflected light beam, while permitting at least a portion of the communication light beam to propagate through the beam splitter, to produce a transmitted light beam. A reflected light beam detector, for example, may be used to detect the reflected light beam. Lastly, in one embodiment, the power level (e.g., light energy) of the communication light beam may be calculated based on the light energy of the reflected light beam.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the power level may include an incident light energy of the communication light beam.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the power level may include a transmitted light energy of the transmitted light beam.
In another aspect of the present invention, the beam splitter is disposed between a fiber optic switch beam generation element and a fiber optic switch beam receiving element.
In still yet another aspect of the present invention, the fiber optic switch beam generation element includes at least one fiber optic input fiber, while the fiber optic switch beam receiving element includes at least one fiber optic output fiber that may receive the transmitted light beam. In this aspect, the at least one output fibers also may be configured to communicate data.
In another aspect of the present invention, the fiber optic switch beam generation element includes a plurality of fiber optic input fibers, while the fiber optic switch beam receiving element includes a plurality of fiber optic output fibers.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a plurality of fiber optic input fibers and a plurality of fiber optic output fibers may be configured in a two-dimensional array.
In still yet another aspect of the present invention, the reflected light beam detector may be configured with an optical sensor that is in communication with a analyzer. The analyzer may be configured calculate which one of the plurality of fiber optic fibers generated and/or received the communication light beam.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, the power level of the communication beam may be calculated by determining the light energy of the reflected light beam by using an optical sensor that is in communication with said reflected light beam detector. In this aspect, the levels of the reflected light energy and transmitted light energy produced by said beam splitter also may be used to process the power level calculation.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a reflected light beam detector may be configured with an optical sensor that is in communication with a analyzer. The analyzer may use the detection of the reflected light beam to indicate an existence of a communication light beam in the optical switch.